Modern Chinese Silver Panda Coins

Your Guide to Modern Chinese Panda Silver Coins

The Panda - Part 2

Last month I wrote about the evolution of the Gold Panda. This month is a continuation about Modern Chinese coins and the Silver Panda, specifically the 27 grams and 1 ounce Silver Panda coins.

The Silver Panda program started in 1983. They were struck using 27 grams of silver, just shy of 1 ounce. They were very plain and simple. The mintage was low with only 10,000 pieces being struck. The same holds true for the 1984 and 1985 Silver Pandas. These are fairly rare and expensive Modern Chinese coins, especially in high grades. Be careful, these are the most counterfeited dates due to the simplicity of the design and the value of each coin. I highly recommend these be purchased already authenticated, graded and encapsulated.

I like the Silver Panda proof series because they are low mintage, in high demand and yet still affordable. These range from 1983-1985, 1987 and 1989-1996. They did not mint proof Silver Pandas in 1986 and 1988. Also interesting to note is that starting in 1987, these Silver Pandas were struck using 1 oz of silver versus 27 grams as the 1983-1985.

Prior to 1989, Silver Pandas were only minted as proofs. By 1989 the Silver Panda program had gained so much strength and was so successful that a bullion version had to be minted to meet the increasing demand for this Modern Chinese coin. The bullion version had a mintage of roughly 250,000 while the proof coin had a mintage of only 25,000. To differentiate between these two coins, a “P” with a circle was used to identify the proof coins minted (collector) version from the bullion coins minted. From 1989-1992, these coins were identical except for the “P” with a circle. Depending on the dies used and the amount of pieces struck with each die, the thickness of the frost along with the depth of the mirrored surface could also be a differentiating factor for those who were aware.

As each year passed, the minting techniques continued to amaze the world with the sophistication and detail used by the China Mints. In 1993 and 1994, the Panda program took a slight change. The “P” with a circle was still used to identify the proofs. The change was that the bullion coins did not have the exact same design as the proof coins. The designs of the proof coins and the bullion coins were very different.

In 1995 and 1996, yet another change took place for the Silver Panda. The “P” in a circle was no longer used to identify the proof coins from the bullion coins. There are two different designs struck in the same year for these Modern Chinese coins. One of these coins is struck as a proof and the other as a bullion type of coin. The 1995 had a mintage of roughly 10,000 coins while the 1996 had a reported mintage of approximately 8000 coins. I happen to believe the mintage of the 1996 proof Silver Panda is higher than the published planned mintage.

There are several varieties within the 1 oz Silver Panda series. I think this is to be expected knowing how many different dies had to be used to strike these bullion coins. I believe the design details of each Panda along with the concept of changing the Panda design each year is what has helped the Silver Panda program continue to grow.

Next year, 2013, will mark the 30th anniversary of the Silver Panda program. This will be very exciting, and I am sure they will have a 30th Anniversary coin to commemorate this achievement.

They minted Silver Pandas in 5-ounce, 12-ounce and Kilos (32.15 ounces). All of these are fascinating Modern Chinese coins. Even though there are many low mintage Silver Pandas in each of these sizes and denominations, my favorites are the Silver Panda Kilos. Besides being large, they are incredible works of art. These are amazing pieces! The China Mint is truly a leader in their striking ability and creativity for both coins and a successful numismatic program.

To read more about Pandas and other Modern Chinese coins, please visit us at Majestic Rarities

Articles in the Modern Chinese Coin series:

More to Come on Modern Chinese Coins:

Year of The Child

Dragon, Phoenix, and more

Quality and Grading of Chinese Coins

Modern Chinese medals vs. coins

1/20th ounce Modern Chinese coins vs. kilo coins

The content of this article has been provided by Majestic Rarities. Please visit their website to see coins on display and a great deal of information contained in the blog section. Majestic Rarities has a 2012 Modern Chinese coin calendar available, and they are in the process of writing a coffee table type of book called History, Culture and Modern Chinese coins.

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